There are currently 6 Call of Duty Black Ops titles led by Treyarch before the arrival of Black Ops 7, and with the incoming title being one that blends aspect of all previous Black Ops games with its campaign, multiplayer, and zombies, it's time to look back on the past to see what aspect was so great about every previous Black Ops title. Each of the Call of Duty Black Ops games has something distinct and special that players can consider the "best of", so take a look below to see what aspect we've deemed the crowning achievement of each Black Ops.
Call of Duty: All Black Ops Zombie Modes, Ranked
Zombies have been essential to the DNA of Treyarch's Call of Duty titles since World at War, but how do the Black Ops games rank them?
Call of Duty: Black Ops Has the Best Campaign
Black Ops Has an MK Ultra Rabbit Hole of a Story That's Immensely Memorable
Call of Duty: Black Ops
- Released
- November 9, 2010
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Treyarch
- Publisher(s)
- Activision
- Engine
- iw
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- FPS
Black Ops deserves a ton of credit for being the foundation of many aspects that have made the Black Ops series so popular, especially with its multiplayer maps and continued focus on thrilling zombie experiences. However, Black Ops truly comes into its own with its campaign, which in itself rivals most AAA campaigns on the market. The performances of everyone involved, the rich writing that keeps you on your toes for a political thriller, they're all central aspects that make Black Ops the definitive story for the series, and the foundation for future campaigns.
The elements of doubt, mistrust, and political meddling in the midst of war keep Black Ops gritty, dark, and all too real, especially when icons like Sam Worthington and Gary Oldman take charge. While other Black Ops campaigns are good, Black Ops has remained on top, especially with its abundance of memorable scenes, characters, and action set pieces.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Has the Best Multiplayer Meta
The Pick 10 System, Gun Balancing, Lack of SBMM, and More, Cemented Black Ops 2 as the Definitive FPS Shooter
- Released
- November 13, 2012
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Treyarch
- Publisher(s)
- Activision
- Engine
- iw
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- FPS
Black Ops 2 arguably has the best multiplayer of all Black Ops titles, and some might even say of all Call of Duty titles. Everything works wonderfully in Black Ops 2 to provide great synergy and a meta that's always fun. The balance of TTK (time-to-kill) really aided in making each combat encounter fun, and that's further assisted by the lack of SBMM (skill-based matchmaking), which meant loading into each map was a gamble of all sorts of players.
Black Ops 2 focused on fun through balancing, with rewarding scorestreaks, balanced guns that were always capable of victory, and an assortment of maps that showed how control over zones means victory. It just feels like Black Ops 2 got so much right, and the "Pick 10" system for loadouts meant that choosing weapons, equipment, and perks had unique power for every player.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 Has the Best Zombies
Black Ops 3 Remains the Undisputed Champion of Maps, Easter Eggs, Story, and Gameplay
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 79 /100 Critics Rec: 69%
- Released
- November 6, 2015
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Treyarch
- Publisher(s)
- Activision
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- FPS
Black Ops 3 did many things right (except for its strange and non-linear campaign that most players didn't even try out). The multiplayer and its thrust jumps made for an addictive and freeing set of movement, but it was really the Zombies mode that rotted away any bad that the game might have. Black Ops 3 Zombies is the ultimate experience, and that's not just because there's an abundance of custom maps still made today.
Black Ops 3 Zombies introduced innovative concepts and improved upon previous approaches in significant ways, from sprawling map designs that built on the formula from Origins with craftables, essential Wonder Weapons, easter eggs with actual story and cutscenes, and just general fun as the focus. Movement felt great, weapons felt great, and each area of every map in Black Ops 3 is simply banger after banger.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Has the Best Battle Royale
Blackout in Black Ops 4 Was a Great Battle Royale Experience, Pre-Warzone
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 84 /100 Critics Rec: 88%
- Released
- October 12, 2018
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Treyarch
- Publisher(s)
- Activision
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- FPS
The last of Call of Duty before the Modern Warfare reboot and Warzone era was that of Black Ops 4, a title that was rather confusing and somewhat lost on its own identity in a battle against live-service titles. Black Ops 4 suffered due to the immense popularity of recent juggernauts like Fortnite, which is why Call of Duty decided to compete with its own Battle Royale within Black Ops 4, known as Blackout. Sure, the multiplayer was fine, and the zombies were pretty good but undercooked, but it's really Blackout that made Black Ops 4 so fun.
Jumping into a challenging Battle Royale for a Call of Duty-first was great, especially when unlocking new characters was as challenging as it was rewarding. The assortment of guns, clash of PvE and PvP elements from real players and zombies, blend of different classic maps to build a sprawling Battle Royale island really helped to make Blackout stand out before Warzone came onto the scene.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Has the Best Multiplayer Maps
A Selection of Innovative Maps, Both New and Classic, Really Helped Black Ops Cold War Stand
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 75 /100 Critics Rec: 61%
- Released
- November 13, 2020
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
- Raven Software, Treyarch
- Publisher(s)
- Activision
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- First-Person Shooter
Black Ops Cold War is an odd title in the Black Ops saga, as its identity feels rather estranged from the rest, a blend of the Warzone era and the classics. While there's nothing inherently wrong with Black Ops Cold War, for its campaign is one of the series' best, it's really in the later seasons of this live-service title that Black Ops Cold War truly became fun and vibrant.
Black Ops Cold War has the best selection of multiplayer maps available, and while some of the original maps created for the game are great with their tightly woven and small designs, it's really when the game remasters the classics, like Raid, Nuketown, Express, Hijacked, and more, that the game becomes a must-play. Treyarch's classic maps have always been a golden opportunity for fun, so to see them in Black Ops Cold War with such an expansive roster is truly a blast.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Has the Best Movement
Omnimovement Made Black Ops 6 an Addictive Blast for Multiplayer and Zombies
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 83 /100 Critics Rec: 91%
- Released
- October 25, 2024
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Suggestive Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Treyarch, Raven Software
- Publisher(s)
- Activision
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- FPS
Black Ops 6 was Treyarch's return to Call of Duty after a 4-year absence, making a break in the traditional annual formula for the interchanging developers of Treyarch, Infinity Ward, and Sledgehammer Games. Black Ops 6 might continue to follow the Warzone era of Call of Duty, but it still has some pretty neat mechanics that make it a fun experience, mostly in terms of its gunplay and movement. Black Ops 6 features the best movement in the series so far, thanks to omnimovement, in which players have no restrictions when it comes to diving, sliding, and shooting in any direction with immense fluidity.
This movement tech is extremely fun and allows for some truly versatile plays, and shows how far the series has come from 360 no-scopes and quickscoping, but that also comes at the cost of leaving the classic gamer behind for a more evolving and sweaty meta. Even outside of movement, Black Ops 6 still remains fun thanks to its multiplayer selection of weapons, perks, and maps, and the gameplay really complements the Zombies mode well, even if players would like to see tactical sprint removed.
All Black Ops Campaigns, Ranked
With 6 Black Ops games in the Call of Duty franchise, it's time to rank them all and see how their campaigns hold up against each other.